Campus Drug Offenses Lawyers

Consequences of Drug Charges on College Campuses

While on a college campus, some students might think that it’s alright to experiment with various types of drugs. If they are charged with a crime involving drugs, the consequences could linger into adulthood and could result in not graduating from college. Financial aid can be impacted in the future as well as employment opportunities when the student begins looking for a job. It typically doesn’t matter whether the drug charge is for something minor, such as marijuana possession, or a major drug offense including possession of controlled substances. The consequences can still tarnish the student’s reputation in various ways. Even if the crime occurred while the student wasn’t on campus, the charges and the sentence could result in actions by the college that the student doesn’t want to face. After being charged with a drug offense, the best option would be to contact an attorney who can offer assistance in preparing a defense that could stand in court that could result in a reduction of the charges or a dismissal of the charges.

Felony Drug Offenses

In the event that you are charged with a felony drug offense, then the possible sentences that you could receive are a bit more severe than a misdemeanor. A campus attorney can look at the details of the charges to determine the best course of action to take. You can work together to determine the defenses that could be used and if you should consider accepting a plea deal regarding the charges. Sometimes, your attorney might be able to get you into a drug program so that the charges are dismissed, which would mean that they wouldn’t show as a guilty verdict on your criminal record. This is often an option for those who don’t have a criminal background and who have simply made a mistake involving drugs and understand that they did something wrong.

Types of Drug Offenses

Drug offenses that occur on a college campus can involve any substance that is illegal. Alcohol can be included in drug charges even though it’s sometimes not considered a traditional drug like marijuana or prescription medications. In the state of New York, drug crimes are based on either possession or the possession of drugs with an intent to sell or deliver. If you’re charged with possession with intent to sell, then you could be looking at consequences that are more severe than just possession charges. Possible punishments could include paying fines to the state, being suspended from the college, or time in jail. Factors that can impact the severity of the charges include your age, the number of drugs in your possession, and if there was someone else involved in the crime.

Possession with Intent to Sell

Sometimes, a charge of possession with intent to sell drugs could result even if there is no exchange of money from one person to another. Services could be offered in exchange for the drugs that you have in your possession. There are numerous types of drugs that you could have in your possession that you could be charged with including cocaine, heroin, opioids, and marijuana. The specific type of drug will usually determine the severity of your drug charge as some are classified at a high level than others.

Illegal Search and Seizure

If you believe that an officer conducted an illegal search and found drugs on your person, then the charge could be thrown out of court because of the way that the drugs were found. Officers have to conduct a search in the proper manner in order to submit evidence to the court. Your attorney can work to gather evidence about how the drugs were discovered in order to determine if there could have been an illegal search of your property. One of the details to keep in mind is that there is a zero-tolerance policy in New York for those who decide to drink and drive. If you are suspected of driving while intoxicated and have a blood alcohol content of at least a .02, then you can be charged with a drug crime. Punishments include suspending your license or mandated alcohol classes. Your attorney can assist with drug charges as long as you communicate and offer details that are true to your knowledge as the ramifications could be severe and could result in not being able to go back to college.